Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 527: Chapter 527

Zoe said, "I'm okay. A little rest and I'm feeling much better."
Shawn asked, "Why do you keep pushing yourself like this?"
Zoe replied, "I'm not doing this just for myself. I'm doing it for our future, too."
Zoe had always known that many people didn't approve of her being with Shawn. They believed she wasn't good enough for him.
Zoe thought that if she could prove with her abilities that they were soulmates, no one would oppose them anymore. This was her chance, and Zoe wasn't about to let it slip away.
Besides, her injuries and disheveled appearance were all deliberately staged. It was part of her plan to make herself look more convincing.
Zoe thought, 'If I'm too strong, even stronger than Shawn, not only would Shawn suspect my identity, but everyone who knows about Firefox would grow suspicious too. That would blow my cover.'
Zoe wanted none of that, so she kept her true identity hidden while making sure to get under Aileen's skin. Zoe thought with a smirk, 'I bet that spoiled heiress Aileen is so pissed right now, she's probably throwing something at her TV.'
The second challenge was mine clearance. None of them had received any training for this, yet they were suddenly expected to clear live mines. Clearly, this was a last-minute difficulty spike.
This was all Aileen's doing. After venting her anger, Aileen realized it was pointless. She thought, 'Why waste my energy? I should just finish Zoe off for good. What's the best way? Bombs.
'If Zoe had an 'accident' during the mine-clearing, she'd be blown to smithereens.'
Aileen planted herself in front of the replacement TV, her eyes glued to the live feed, refusing to miss a single second.
The minefield was vast, with hidden explosives scattered in unknown locations. To pass, each participant had to traverse the danger zone and reach the other side safely.
Zoe and Shawn were registered as individual participants, so teaming up wasn't an option. This task had to be completed on their own—no help, no partners.
Shawn knew Zoe wasn't in good shape. He was worried that if she went alone, something terrible would happen. So he said, "I request team formation."
Ryan nodded in approval. He said, "Request granted, but no more than two per team."
The others immediately began strategizing among themselves.
There were only nine people in total. Someone was bound to be left out. That hardly seemed fair to the unlucky one.
The teams were quickly formed, and the one left alone instantly flew into a rage. He protested angrily, "Sir, this isn't fair!"
Ryan said, "You're exempt from this round. Advance directly to the next stage by default."
Just moments ago, the contestant had been fuming with anger. But now, hearing this, his face lit up with joy. He exclaimed, "Seriously? I don't have to compete? That's amazing!"
The others were green with envy. They thought, 'Why couldn't we be the lucky ones for once?'
One of the four teams, made up of two hulking men, stepped forward. "We'll go first!" one of them called out, eager to take the lead.
No one stopped them, simply waiting to see how it would play out.
True to their all-brawn-no-brain reputation, the two muscleheads stomped around recklessly. Instead of clearing any mines, one of them triggered an explosive, sending his companion flying on the spot.
The horrified onlookers saw a limb go flying through the air.
"They're real mines!" someone shouted in disbelief.
"My God, they're insane!" another gasped.
"Are they trying to get us all killed here?" a horrified voice added.
"Next team!" Ryan barked, unfazed by the commotion.
Team after team stepped forward. Fortunately, the later groups proceeded with more caution, significantly lowering the risk of detonation. There were no more casualties.
Next was Zoe and Shawn's turn.